


The Princes And The Pauper

by Fighting_for_Creativity



Category: Marvel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Medieval, Escape, Force-Feeding, Grief, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Imprisonment, Inspired by The Prince and The Pauper, Jealousy, M/M, Minor Character Death, Non-Graphic Violence, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Refusal to Eat, Restraints, Royalty AU, Tony Stark Flash Bingo, evil twin, hunting animals for survival mentioned, secret brother
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:40:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24925552
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fighting_for_Creativity/pseuds/Fighting_for_Creativity
Summary: A twin brother could be one of the most wonderful things life could gift you with.For the longest time, Anthony though of his twin Gregory as such that.Little did he know, that his brother wasn't as content with life like Anthony was.In a world where only the firstborn can inherit, the second-born twin falls victim to greed.~~~~~~~~Anthony endured. He did, for a long time. When the chance comes, he isn't hesitating.(Note: with further updates, the summary will be updated as well. I just don't wanna spoil you)
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Comments: 6
Kudos: 27
Collections: Tony Stark Bingo 2020





	1. Envy Destroyed Us

**Author's Note:**

> The tags will be added as the story processes. There will be tags concerning some _violence_ and _medieval typical behavior_. If those things are nothing for you, please leave now. 
> 
> To all those who still want to give this story a chance, thank you for reading~
> 
> The story is heavily inspired by the fairytale 'The Prince And The Pauper'.
> 
> It also is another fill for my **TSB**.
> 
> Collaborator Name: Fighting_for_Creativity  
> Card Number: 3113  
> Square Filled: adopted fill (TSB 4) Royalty AU  
> Major Tags: Royalty Au, Envy/Jealousy, Evil Twin, inspired by the fairytale 'The Prince And The Pauper'

When Tony was younger, he never understood why his father only called one of them to the throne room. Gregory was mostly kept hidden, like a dirty speck on a favorite tablecloth. Anthony didn’t like that. He had tried to ask, to bargain with his father to let Gregory and him attend banquets together. But no matter how much he pleaded, their father always answered in the same way, “Be grateful that your cousin knows both of you, son.”

That was always the end of any kind of discussion. Anthony was grateful he could play with his cousin Virginia and Gregory, but he hated that shadow passing over his brother’s face every time he was told to stay behind.

When the twins turned thirteen, the king fell ill. Stane, who was appointed regent until King Howard recovers, didn’t know of the twins. Thus when he called for the crown prince, he didn’t realize that the younger prince was the one who answered. Anthony took that opportunity to steal himself to their father’s bedside.

In hindsight, he shouldn’t have done that. But how could he have known that he would be betrayed like this? Stabbed in the back by his own twin brother.

~~~

Gregory answered the door to the princes’ chamber, hearing out the soldier who relayed the summons to the throne room. The young prince had nodded and said, “Please tell the regent I will be there shortly. I have to finish something up before.” 

He closed the door and turned towards his slightly older twin. As the years had passed, Gregory thought their slight differences had become more prominent. While Anthony’s hair was wavy and hazelnut, just like his eyes, Gregory’s was slightly more straight and had lightened to a hearthstone brown.

The younger prince’s eyes had also become lighter over the years, and soon enough they would no longer be confused for one another. Gregory needed to act. Soon. Otherwise, he would never gain the right to be king. 

“Brother.” He contained his envy, letting his voice be smooth and innocent. “You are being summoned.”

“I heard, Gregory. But… I would rather go and see how Father is faring. Would you go instead?” Anthony’s voice was soft and hopeful. Gregory could hear the adoration and the tenderness in his brother’s words and had to contain a sneer. That was a further difference between the two. While Gregory thrived under the tutelage of Stane, Anthony’s interest was in books and smithery. He even had stolen himself away once and came back with strange metallic things he had built.   
  


Gregory found little interest in the things his brother enjoyed, and he knew they couldn’t be more opposite of one another. Anthony, who was nurturing and sensitive, caring about so many _useless_ things, while he, Gregory, was cunning and ambitious, utilizing his resources and furthering his influences.

“I shall. Would you greet the king from me, Anthony?”

A smile spread over his brother’s face, and an enthusiastic nod was followed by the words, “I will. Thank you, brother.”

Gregory could feel his brother’s eyes on him when he left. ‘ _You won’t thank me after, Anthony._ ’

~~~

Explaining the nature of King Howard’s ruse to Stane was the right choice. Gregory knew that his mentor wanted the kingdom for himself. The young prince could use that to his advantage. He made false promises to remain the man’s puppet if he would aid him in denouncing Anthony, and together they planned how to get rid of the current and future kings.

Gregory was very aware that Stane would try to use their plan to bind him, but that was a worry for his future self. After a few hours, they concluded their schemes and just needed the right opportunity. As it happened, luck was on their side.

Just as they were about to part, the chamber doors were flung open and a disheveled Anthony stumbled in, crying. Stane looked shocked for a moment, clearly only now truly believing Gregory about there being two of them, but Gregory could work with that. A loyal guard - well, loyal to Stane, anyway - entered behind the crown prince. 

His normally so intelligent brother didn’t take note of the chamber door being pushed closed and locked behind. Gregory watched as their plan unfolded.

Stane walked closer to the trembling prince, knowing that their chance was now. “My prince, what has you so distressed?”

The crown prince hiccuped a bit before he finally told them, his words ringing in the room not because they were loud but because they had such impact. “Father. The King. He is… He died.”

When the words registered with Stane and Gregory, both turned towards the other, communicating with small gestures before Stane turned towards the guard. “You heard him. Go announce it to the council.”

The soldier left the three alone. Gregory walked to his brother’s side. Patting him gently and playing the part of the grieving child. “It all will turn out ok, right, brother?” he asked timidly, playing at his brother’s protectiveness.

“Yes...yes. Somehow. I promise, Gregory…”

“So now I’m the crown prince…”

“You are. I guess… But Father…”

“Oh, brother,” Gregory smirked. “I don’t care about that old bastard. You just said everything I cared to hear. Lord Stane, would you do us the honor?”

Anthony stared shocked at his brother. Gregory couldn’t quite identify the look in the eyes of his older brother, but if he needed to guess he would say it was betrayal when Stane seized him and yelled for another guard. Anthony tried to get free from their strong grip, yelling and pleading for Gregory to come to his senses, but Gregory simply smirked and said, “I do not know you. You may look similar to me, but you are not me. You are not the crown prince. I am. I am Anthony Gregory Stark the first.”

As soon as those words had left his lips, the older brother slumped against the guards. That was when Gregory knew that his brother really comprehended the situation. Anthony Gregory Stark now knew that his younger brother, Gregory Anthony Stark, had just been waiting for a chance like this.

With the fighting ceased, the denounced prince was carried away, taken to the highest tower, and locked in. Later, Gregory visited, accompanied by Stane’s most loyal men, and they did what needed to be done.

After all, should any of the council become suspicious or his brother fight his way out, the identical birthmark on both their chests would give Anthony away. The younger prince would hear his brother’s screams for years to come.


	2. The Scars You Left On Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anthony endures his imprisonment until he isn't

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, my dears,
> 
> another shortish chapter for this AU. I hope, despite the pain Tony is in, you will enjoy this.
> 
> I participate in the Flash Bingo of Tony Stark Bingo and as warm-up, I use this chapter for a fill.  
> \----  
>  **Title** : The Princes And The Pauper- Chapter 2: _The Scars You Left On Me_  
>  **Link** :  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/24925552/chapters/62594266  
>  **Bingo Card** : #019  
>  **Square** : 01- "doghnuts" swapped with _"Secret Siblings, especially evil twins"_ from the Adoptees  
>  **Main Pairing** : (later) Steve Rogers/Tony Stark  
>  **Rating** : M  
>  **Warnings** : non-graphic torture, force feeding, refusal to eat, restraints, emotional pain, imprisonment, escape  
>  **Summary** : Anthony endures his imprisonment until he isn't.  
>  **Word Count** : 1277

Anthony was still. For a long time after that fateful night, Anthony didn’t speak, didn’t grunt, didn't make any sound. He only ate or drank when a guard shoved the stale bread and stagnant water down his throat. Not that he wanted to eat, but even if he had, they would still have had to force-feed him because of how heavily restrained Anthony was. 

His wrists shackled together, limiting his dexterity. One foot chained to the bedpost, with only 3 feet range for him to wander on most days. As if that alone wasn’t awful enough, they put a collar around his neck. Some days - the guards called them the ‘ _care days’_ \- Anthony was completely restrained, tied down, the collar chained to the bed. They would change his clothes for clean ones, unlocking one limb at a time to get their work done, a most humiliating experience.

At first, the guards took pleasure in his pain, but the less the young, denounced prince reacted, the less joy they found in their actions. After weeks of trying to get Anthony to react, they ceased their cruel work. 

In the year he had been here, Stane had visited only twice, and his brother not at all. Maybe the former prince shouldn’t have been able to keep track of time, but his mind, unlike his body, remained sharp and vigilant.

Then, exactly a year and a half after their father’s death, Anthony got a chance to escape. The young man wasn’t sure if it was the complacency, the arrogant assumption that their former prince would be a harmless sheep by now, or them feeling superior in strength and power. They weren’t completely wrong with that, at least considering their physical strength.

He wasn’t, not by far; while his body was weak from fatigue and pain, Anthony’s main resource had always been his mind. He knew the weak points of a human body. Had studied the guards individual weaknesses. Knew the shifts and the moments when most guards would be too drunk to be of use. 

Anthony was aware of their routines, even though they tried to obscure them. Even if he didn’t know why they bothered with giving him clean clothes, he knew when they would come, and he was ready for them. 

After a year and a half of imprisonment and pain, of humiliation and betrayal, of anger and sadness, a year and a half after he became Anthony No-name, the young man escaped. 

~~~

The guards realized the former crown prince had escaped early the following morning when the shift changed and they found the dead bodies of the night shift and the cell in the tower empty. 

The agitation following that discovery rippled through every rank of guards. The young king wasn’t known for mercy. Especially not when someone had failed at what he believed to be an easy task. And the nameless prisoner? Guarding him was thought to be the easiest task.

One unlucky guard was shoved towards the king’s chambers. A group of maids was leaving as he arrived, giggling and disheveled, raising the hope in the unlucky guard’s soul that his king was in good spirits. The other guards standing back, swords threateningly displayed and so the unfortunate guard knocked.

“Who dares to disturb me?”

Taking his chances, the guard entered, hands sweating and inner turmoil showing in his hunched back and trembling fingers. “Your Majesty,” the guard spoke submissively, bowing as low as he could without tumbling over.

“What do you want?”

The monarch’s voice was cold, disinterested, but no one was foolish enough to believe it was an accurate reflection of his mood. Too often had they witnessed the cruelty behind the passive mask. 

Stumbling over his words, knowing he had only limited time to convince his king that he was not at fault for the prisoner’s escape, the guard rushed to explain how the early shift had found the dead guards. How the cell had been empty. How the other guards were already searching, at the moment most likely combing through the castle. How he was just the messenger.

When the trembling guard had finished, silence reigned. A combination of tension, fear, and dread made the young guard lookup. 

What he saw made him wish he hadn’t. The king’s usually handsome face was contorted in anger, teeth bared, eyes promising unimaginable pain.

The words felt like a death sentence. “Find him.”

Scrambling out of the room, the guard knew if he didn’t bring back the prisoner, he would die.

~~~

Anthony knew he didn’t have much time. If he could manage to cross the border, he would be out of Iron Kingdom and safe for the time being. Between his- between the Iron Kingdom and the Kingdom of Brooklyn was a strip of land, no man's land. A place where no laws applied and Anthony could dodge the guards better. 

When he was still Anthony Gregory Stark, he had only heard whispers and rumors about no man’s land. As Anthony No-name, he had heard the guards goad each other to go and try their luck for fame and fortune there. Because apparently only wanted criminals lived there, and whoever caught them would be highly rewarded.

Antho- ‘ _I should find a new name. It might be all I own right now, but my face and name together could catch my broth- Gregory’s eye._ ’ The thought came unbidden and hurt more than he might have imagined it would. Blending in as best as he could, the brunet tried to think of a new name, of a game plan for himself. 

During his imprisonment, especially in the first few weeks, he had been full of rage and grief. Although the rage never really faded, the all-consuming fire had simmered down. If his brother - _Gregory_ \- wanted to be king so badly, Anthony would let him. The former prince had never been interested in ruling. His only concern was how to ensure the well-being of his people. He would rather come up with machinery to help the common folk get the most out of the land they had than lead a war to get new territory for more crop fields the way his father had.

Nonetheless, his situation had changed. He no longer had the responsibility of his name weighing him down. Yet with every step he took, with every breath he desperately tried to take, he was reminded of the mass of scars on his chest. Anthony had been a witness to and victim of Gregory’s cruelty. So, if he was honest with himself, he just wanted to forget about it all and never look back...

Still, something inside him directed him to keep an eye out. Told him not to walk away, even though he would not take direct action, would not set out for revenge. The brunet would watch, keep vigil over the people of the kingdom. To do that, he needed to establish himself, to set up a life for himself right under King Gregory’s nose without anyone knowing who he was.

Later, he would hear the horrific news of the cruel king having ordered the head of five guards to be displayed upon spikes upon the main gate to the capital after being executed for their failure. To serve as a warning to every person in the capital not to disappoint their king.

Later, Anthony would lament their deaths, despite those men being responsible for his weak physical state.

Later, Anthony would become Tony, the Blacksmith.

Not yet, though. At that moment, Anthony No-name was slipping away from guards, blending into a larger crowd of travelers, and hiding in the shadows.


	3. The Life I Built

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anthony secures himself a base to operate from and manages to survive. 
> 
> During his time in the no-man's land he builds himself a new life, with new people whilst still dealing with the betrayal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, it's me~
> 
> None of my wips are dead and this is proof! *laughs*  
> Ok, please look at follow up warnings:
> 
> ### Chapter Warning:
> 
> Minor Character Death (Mentioned)  
> Violence (Mentioned)  
> Hunting Animals (Mentioned)
> 
> Plenty thanks to Deehellcat for a very fast and lovely beta job!  
> (Also I'm sorry, I don't know your AO3 name.)
> 
> Everyone, enjoy~

Slowly, ever so slowly Anthony managed to build himself a new life. He had been rather fortunate, all things considered. An old man, Yinsen, had taken pity on the injured boy and had taken him in for a while, caring for Anthony’s wounds and not asking many questions.

After what amounted to around one month, they parted ways and Anthony found a safe way over the border and into the no-man's land. The villages, or rather encampments, he encountered were all shoddy, run down and the people mostly hostile towards outsiders. ‘ _I mean it’s no wonder, they can’t trust anyone. Otherwise they’d easily get killed._ ’

However, after a while in which he only managed to survive by living off scraps and whatever he could find in nature, he stumbled open an abandoned cave system. His chest felt heavy, pressing down on his lungs and he wondered for a moment if it was the scare that still bothered him.

With hesitant steps the adolescent searched the cave system, finding more and more traces of a whole village having lived here once. A child’s toy was there, a broken kettle here, some leftover scraps of clothing. Tools lay scattered around, broken and rusty, some worse than others.

Anthony decided to stay after checking that there was no immediate danger from wildlife or bandits alike. The first few days he spent discovering more and more of the system and collecting everything he found, bringing it into the center chamber. For food he scoured the surrounding thicket until he managed to find a nearly functional rabbit trap. With all the things he had found, he actually managed to repair it and use it to hunt.

The next things he repaired were some tools used for forging. Anthony was impressed by all he saw, by the cave village, by the imprint of life left behind.

He wondered why those people were gone. Why desert what looked to be a strategically advanced and very secure way of living in the no-man’s land?

The former prince felt bitter whenever he went hunting for some meat, whenever he so much as glanced at his reflection, with a bow and a quiver filled with rudimentary wooden arrows as his chosen hunting weapon. He never had enjoyed hunting as a sport, wasn’t as good at this as Gregory, and only ever indulged in it to spend some time with his brother outside the castle walls with his brother. ‘ _Stop thinking of him as such,_ ’ he berated himself. ‘ _Gregory ceased to be my brother the moment his greed consumed him._ ’

Yet, despite Anthony’s strong attempts at letting the past rest, whenever he had some time before sleep, his mind whirled with the how’s and why’s and the betrayals of those he thought were his family. More nights than not he lost his rest and favored working instead. 

Over weeks and months, seasons passing by, Anthony made the cave village his reign, his home. The things he could repair, he repaired. Those that were beyond, he used to experiment, to make something new out of it. Sometimes he was able to trade with other outlaws. Soon enough, other people noticed his skill in forging and repairs and brought things to him whenever he was at the nearest outlaw encampment. 

He found out about the hierarchy and systems, the inner working of the no-man’s land as payment for his service. Sometimes people tried to threaten him into helping them, he dealt with those in private. 

After a woman being dragged by bandits, a young boy by her side, scared and hurt, and Anthony stepping in, protecting them both, people realized that there was more to him. It earned him the trust of those that lived here because they had nowhere else to turn to, and at the same time earned him the scrutiny of those that were just as Gregory- greedy.

Rumors soon traveled far, and distantantly Anthony was aware he should keep more to himself. But he couldn’t. Not only for his own wellbeing- as the trade was essential to get him material and enough food over the winter- but also for the others, for the weaker ones of the no-man’s land. 

A few months after the first incident with that woman, a brunet boy approached him. “Sir. Please, just a moment of your time, Sir Blacksmith.”

Taken aback by the polite request, Anthony stared at the small boy. The child apparently took his shock and silence for permission to say what he came for, “I wanted to ask for your name, Sir Blacksmith. You saved me and I never know which name to include in my prayers like aunt May taught me and I really want to because it’s the least I can do, you know Sir Blacksmith. I already asked around but no one knows. Everyone says you’re a blacksmith but that is that. Although I know people keep to themselves here and aunt May constantly warned about trusting people and not telling people my name and people-”

Anthony knew rambling when he heard it, and this boy was rambling. Maybe out of reflex, maybe because he felt a strange pull to the boy, maybe because he was sick of being so alone, he interrupted, “Tony. My name is Tony, yours?”

The boy beamed at him and then shyly replied, “Peter. My aunt and I got away from bad men before stumbling over the bad men here and you rescuing us.”

“Erm- say, Peter, where is your aunt then?” Tony- and it felt strange to use a different name after all- looked around a bit, hoping to spy the woman. When he looked at Peter again, Tony was taken aback by the sadness and wet eyes looking right back at him. The way Peter’s shoulders had curled inside, the way his chest heaved, Tony didn’t need him saying anything.

Making a split decision, Tony put a hand on Peter’s shoulder, squeezing slightly, comfortingly, just like Jarvis had always done for him, before offering, “I don’t have much. I can’t take care of you wholly, and you will have to work a lot. But do you want to come with me?”

After finishing the trade he originally came for, the two tracked their way back to Tony’s cave system. Peter, in a mix between childish curiosity and scarred life experience, asked a thousand and more questions about the safety of the cave system before running around excited to have a place to explore.

Later that day Peter watched as Tony worked but finally, he fell asleep, curled close to the hearth Tony had rebuilt. Of the necessity not to wake the young boy, Tony turned in early that night as well.

And so Anthony became Tony.   
  
He gained a new home, a new companion and responsibility. 

He gained another purpose in life and finally managed a few more hours sleep each night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TSB:  
> Title: The Princes And The Pauper- Chap.3: The Life I Built  
> Collaborator Name: Fighting_for_Creativity  
> Card Number: 4004  
> Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24925552/chapters/73091718  
> Square Filled: adopted: Royalty  
> Ship/Main Pairing: Stony  
> Rating: mature  
> Major Tags: after math of betrayal, envy, royalty au, minor character death, violence  
> Summary: Anthony secures himself a base to operate from and manages to survive. 
> 
> During his time in the no-man's land he builds himself a new life, with new people whilst still dealing with the betrayal.  
> Word Count: 1151(Chapter three)


End file.
